PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: QUEENS PARK RANGERS V CHELSEA – PART TWO

Continuing their look at the weekend’s fixture, club historian Rick Glanvill and club statistician Paul Dutton are joined by Clive Walker who played for both sides…

TACTICAL BRIEFChelsea are regenerating the squad, but QPR manager Mark Hughes bought virtually a whole new team this summer. This game provides the chance to measure their respective progress, albeit with the headiness of a west London derby.

Key Battles‘As a QPR fan you would have to have some concern that Mark Hughes has brought in so many new players,’ says former Blue, Clive Walker.

‘He had some money to spend and he wanted to stamp his mark and establish his way of playing, but with international games, some of the new players have only had a few days training with their teammates. It takes longer than that to nurture the understandings you often rely on in the heat of battle.

‘Then there’s the fact that if you’re arriving from, say, the Spanish, French or Italian league like Esteban Granero, Samba Diakite, Stéphane Mbia, there is a period of adaptation to the frenetic pace here. That even goes for a goalie, and an experienced one, such as Júlio César. It’s a big test for them but I don’t think César will have any problems.

‘There could be an awful lot of players making their debut for the hosts, and they will feel a lot of pressure from the QPR fans, for whom this game is bigger than the FA Cup final.

‘César maybe thrown straight into what the Rs themselves are claiming will be a ‘white hot cauldron’ atmosphere. Robert Green had only recently arrived too but when I have seen them he has seemed too error-prone.

‘I think the Brazilian is a little ambitious hoping his new club “win the league,” but he brings a wealth of experience. He played in both legs when Inter beat us back in 2010. But the Premier League, with west London’s pride at stake, is a totally different culture to the Champions League.

‘Chelsea will look to put him under a lot of pressure early, with plenty of pace and intensity, lots of pot shots and chances created. Of course you look to Fernando Torres on that front. When he was with Liverpool he scored the only goal of the game past César at San Siro, and he netted a hat-trick at the Bridge when these two sides last met.

‘QPR have a back four that is settling in too. You would expect Man City to test any side, but the Rs’ defence looked at sixes and sevens in their last home league game against Swansea, which they lost 5-0. It takes time to make a back five work.

‘Do experienced players such as Fabio and José Bosingwa, who have been used to working alongside top, top players, have what it takes to knuckle down and avoid the drop? That’s the gamble the manager makes. We know all about Bosingwa, of course, and he put in some stout performances at times. I felt those often came when he was forced to think more about what he was doing, as at Barcelona when he excelled as an emergency centre back.

‘As a right-back we know that he likes to go forward as much as possible and many Chelsea fans will look forward to seeing how he copes with Eden Hazard, who continued his fine start to the season for Belgium during the break.

‘Hazard has also been bringing the best out of Juan Mata, and the little Spaniard has just enjoyed a good rest after his busy summer, and he’ll remember he scored the winner last time we were at Loftus Road.

‘Bosingwa can leave acres behind him for Ashley Cole, and that draws the middle over. Centre-back Ryan Nelsen is 34 and he won’t move out of the middle.

‘Nelsen must think of us as a bit of bogey side: he has played Chelsea 11 times and only won once – in the League Cup on penalties.

‘But Chelsea need to tighten up at the back too. I’m not overly concerned about the Super Cup loss to Atlético but lots of the defending in that game was below the high standard we have set ourselves. And if you look at the fact we also conceded three against City in the Community Shield and two to Reading, the manager knows there is work to be done as a group.

‘Di Matteo will have watched César Azpilicueta in training and will know if he’s integrating quickly. But we are not in a panic to bring him in. The manager may prefer Gary Cahill in this one for his concentration levels, given last season’s performance.’

Squad NewsAshley Cole and John Terry are over ankle injuries, Juan Mata will be considered for the squad having trained once since his two-week break from football. Marko Marin is close to a return from a hamstring strain having played 45 minutes in the Under-21s last night, but not yet.

For QPR, defender Stephane Mbia is a doubt due to an injury while away with Cameroon. Midfielder Samba Diakite is reported unavailable due to personal reasons.

CHELSEA STATSChelsea’s defeat at QPR last season is our only reverse in the last 68 games against newly promoted teams, over a period of 11 years. We have won 56 of those matches.

THE MAN IN THE MIDDLEThe referee is Andre Marriner. His last Chelsea and QPR games were both against Stoke towards the end of last season. Chelsea have won just over half the games he has officiated since 2007.